ire

1 of 2

noun

ˈī(-ə)r 

: intense and usually openly displayed anger

ire transitive verb

ireful

ˈī(-ə)r-fəl 

adjective

Ire

2 of 2

abbreviation

Ireland

Synonyms of ire

Noun

• indignation
• anger
• wrath
• outrage
• fury
• rage

Choose the Right Synonym for ire

anger, ire, rage, fury, indignation, wrath mean an intense emotional state induced by displeasure.

anger, the most general term, names the reaction but by itself does not convey cause or intensity.

tried to hide his anger

ire, more frequent in literary contexts, suggests an intense anger, often with an evident display of feeling.

cheeks flushed with ire

rage and fury suggest loss of self-control from violence of emotion.

shook with rage

could not contain his fury

indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful.

a comment that caused general indignation

wrath is likely to suggest a desire or intent to punish or get revenge.

I feared her wrath if I was discovered

Examples of ire in a Sentence

Noun

He directed his ire at the coworkers who reported the incident.

the patronizing comment from the snooty waiter roused her ire

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Appearing Sunday on Fox News, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent turned a debate over tariff revenue into yet another admonishment, only this time, the target of his ire had recently turned out championing the role of tariffs in improving the country’s fiscal outlook. —Tristan Bove, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026

It was previously named the McKinney Texas Temple, to the ire of some Fairview residents, who also took issue with its initial nearly 174-foot-tall spire, taller than any other structure in the town, including its water tower. —Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026

In turn, Podziemski’s game morphed from something young, fresh, and exciting into a stale loaf of bread, drawing the justifiable ire of Warriors fans everywhere. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026

On social media, however, Fanatics and Rubin remain targets of fans’ ire. —A.j. Perez, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin ira; perhaps akin to Greek oistros gadfly, frenzy

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ire

• dire
• lyre
• mire
• quire
• spire
• squire
• admire
• afire
• aspire
• backfire
• esquire
• expire

Kids Definition

ire

noun

ˈī(ə)r 

: anger entry 1

ire verb

ireful

-fəl 

adjective

irefully

-fə-lē

adverb